Independent Order of Odd Fellows

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal
organization derived from English Oddfellows orders of the
mid-1700s.

The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of
United Orders and the Loyal Order. In 1813, various lodges of the
Union Order organized the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows. Several
unofficial lodges existed in New York City, but American Odd
Fellowship is regarded as being founded in Baltimore in 1819, by
Thomas Wildey, and the following year affiliated with the Manchester
Unity. Within a few years the new American Lodges separated from the
English Orders and formed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Its ladies' auxiliary is known as the Rebekahs. Both the Odd
Fellows and Rebekahs have higher branches known as Encampments and
Patriarchs Militant.

Today, some branches of the order (i.e. some countries) allow
women to join the Odd Fellows itself, leading the Rebekahs to have
declined in importance. Also, the higher branches and their degrees
are, in some countries, becoming regarded as being of less
importance or too time-consuming, and (in those countries) are
gradually being abandoned.

The most widely encountered symbol of the Odd Fellows - on
signage and gravemarkers - is the three-link chain ("the Chain With
Three Links", "Triple Links") with three initials, 'F', 'L' and 'T',
one each inside each link, signifying Friendship, Love and
Truth.

Tel:
405-354-6319

Family History Research

The Sovereign Grand Lodge does
not have information on an individual's Membership in the
Order. However, this responsibility lies with each
Jurisdiction (Canadian Province or US State). To obtain family
information, please contact the Jurisdiction directly
by following the instructions listed below:

Write to the Grand Lodge or
Rebekah Assembly Secretary of the appropriate Jurisdiction
(Canadian Province or US State). See the Jurisdictions Pages
on this site for names, addresses, phone & fax numbers and
email address - where available.

Information you need to
provide is:- Name of the individual- Town of
residence- Years of residence- Year of death. A
Member may keep Membership in one Lodge and participate in a Lodge
of another city as a visitor or Associate Member.

Please keep in mind the following when
making your requests:

Odd Fellow
or Rebekah Applications do not include information about the
applicant's parents.

Each
Jurisdiction keeps the annual reports from all of the Lodges under
its jurisdiction, for as far back as the records survive.
The annual reports list the current members and dates of
membership change, such as when a Member joined the Lodge (by
initiation or by transfer from another Lodge) and when a Members
leaves the Lodge (by death, resignation, or transfer to another
Lodge). Details, such as what Lodge the Member transferred
to or from, are in the Lodge's records. When a Lodge
surrenders its Charter (closes), its records are to be transferred
to the Grand Lodge or Rebekah Assembly Office of that
Jurisdiction. If a Lodge amalgamates with another Lodge, its
records transfer to the other Lodge.

Searching
for a name can take time and the more information provided to
narrow the search, the more likely someone will be able to find
confirmation of Lodge Membership.

This is a collection of Photographs were
taken at the IOOF Home in Checotah. Most of the individuals are unidentified.
Thanks to Pat Kirven Sawyer <patkirven@copper.net> for submitting the
photographs!!!!

Checotah IOOF Home The following information is based on an article published in
a specialReal-estate and Recreation section of the Feb. 24, 2000 issue
of the Indian Journal

The home is located on the northern edge of Checotah on land previously
owned by pioneer W.E. Gentry. Gentry and his wife, Sallie offered the
160 acre farm and $5,000 to the IOOF in 1902 for the purpose of establishing
a home for the care of orphans and aged. A three story brick structure
was dedicated on April 14, 1903 and was furnished by the local Rebekahs.
The surrounding farm and the home comprised a self-sufficient setting where
young people owned and cared for individual stock. Before free public
schools were in existence, children here attended classes conducted within the
complex. Additional rooms were added in 1922 and an infirmary was added in 1962.
In its first seventy years of operation the home served a total of 325 adults
and 448 orphans..

Today the farm land is leased for pasture except for a portion that
is leased to Little League as a complex baseball and soccer fields

The local Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge which was chartered
in 1895 lost its three-story building in downtown Checotah in a fire that destroyed
an entire city block in 1992. The Rebekahs now meet in the living room
of the IOOF Home and the Odd Fellows meet in a new structure dedicated in 1996
on the grounds.

The Home is still in operation, caring for approximately 20 adults.
At present there are no children housed there although facilities are available.

This home has been closed and the buildings sold. The building that
was dedicated in 1996 is still in use but not the home.

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